The UK government recently published their 2023 edition of the National Risk Register (NRR).

This document is a summary of the most serious risks facing our country.

The risks identified are then grouped into 9 core risk themes.

Can you guess what the #1 top risk is?

🧵 Image
So here’s the Risk Matrix for the UK. It plots the likelihood vs impact for each key risk.

There’s one that stands out from the crowd…

Number 54.

Its impact is great enough to be considered ‘catastrophic’ & its likelihood is considerably higher than other catastrophic risks. Image
Here’s the key 👇🏻

Let’s see how long it takes you to find that ‘riskiest of all risks’, number 54. Image
Ah look, there it is…

Number 54.

The riskiest of all risks.

‘PANDEMIC’

Surprise, surprise. Image
To summarise:

The National Risk Register (NRR) documents the most serious risks facing our country.

It has identified ‘Pandemics’ as being the number 1 risk facing the UK. Image
So what’s the point of this Risk Register?

This is explained in the foreword:

“We are giving businesses & other organisations as much information as possible about the risks they face, so that they can use this knowledge to support their own planning, preparation and response.” Image
So if the whole point of the risk register is to help the UK with its preparedness to tackle the key risks identified…

…and the number one key risk identified is ‘pandemics’…

…why the hell aren’t we doing more to prepare for it?
The current pandemic is far from over & the government are already doing a pretty poor job of handling that one.

They’ve installed enhanced air filtration systems in Parliament, MoD & DfE HQ…

…but refused to install air filters in schools, hospitals & other public spaces.
Image
They’ve systematically dismantled & obfuscated the entire Covid data surveillance system to the point where no one can be quite clear on what’s going on…

Thread 🧵👇🏻
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They’ve massively reduced the eligibility criteria for the Covid vaccine and are using up older outdated vaccines rather than investing in the new updated XBB vaccine used in the US, Canada and many other countries.
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They’re encouraging children with symptoms of Covid to come to school anyway and spread it to all of their classmates & teachers, starting countless new chains of transmission.

Last Autumn term (2022/23), 12.4% of all pupils missed 10% or more sessions due to illness alone.
Image
They’ve removed all masking, self-isolation & routine Covid testing mandates for both staff & patients in hospitals.

Even before this guidance, 30% of patients in hospital with Covid had caught it there.

It will almost certainly be worse now but is no longer tracked.
Image
The National Risk Register includes a section specifically addressing the Covid pandemic.

It reiterates that:

“The most significant risk to materialise in the UK has been the COVID-19 pandemic. This has impacted all aspects of society & will have consequences into the future.” Image
It goes on to say:

“The risk of a pandemic has long been identified as one of the most serious risks facing the UK.”

…and…

“The lessons from COVID-19 have been incorporated into the government's risk assessment methodology.”

Uh oh. 😳 Image
Seriously though, if pandemics really are the number one risk facing the UK, why on earth aren’t we investing in clear air technologies, like improved ventilation & air filtration, NOW?

…particularly in places like schools and hospitals?
Image
Improving ventilation & air filtration doesn’t just reduce transmission of Covid, it works for ALL airborne diseases.

It will future proof us against future pandemics, as well as reducing the spread of the current one.

We need a clean air revolution!

northwestbylines.co.uk/environment/po…
If you’re interested in reading the full 2023 U.K. National Risk Register document, you can find the link below 👇🏻

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/upl…
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More from @_CatintheHat

Oct 26
“We're not just running out of cubicles; we're running out of corridors.”

“It feels like [Winter] is going to be armageddon, to be honest. We’re already full.”

This entire article is frankly horrifying. And yet, nothing is being done to mitigate it.

independent.co.uk/news/health/nh…Image
Analysis of NHS data by the RCEM, shows that from Jun-Sep 2025, over HALF A MILLION patients had an A&E stay of over 12 hours from their time of arrival in England.

This is MORE than the entire winter of 2021-22, during which the UK experienced one of the worst Covid waves. Image
In the latest weekly figures, there were 188 people Covid deaths across the UK.

188 Covid deaths. In just one week.

3,866 Covid deaths so far this year.

(H/t @gwladwr) Image
Read 7 tweets
Oct 20
COVID INQUIRY

Prof Whitty on VENTILATION in schools:

“It's an uncontroversial statement from an epidemiological point of view to say that improving ventilation in schools would be a good thing […] The advantages of ventilation are very substantial.”

So why aren’t we doing it?
Data from the national schools air quality monitoring project (SAMHE) shows that ventilation rates in schools drop to just 3.8 litres per sec per person in colder weather.

This is far BELOW the minimum UK guidance of 5-8 litres per sec per person.

When will the govt fix this? Image
For more clips from Prof Chris Whitty’s appearance at the Covid Inquiry today, please take a look at this excellent thread from Clinically Vulnerable Families (@cv_cev):
Read 4 tweets
Oct 17
LONDON MAYOR INVESTS £2.7M IN AIR QUALITY FILTERS FOR SCHOOLS

I’m SO excited about this! I hope there’s lots of press coverage about it over the coming weeks.

It’s not just an issue in London though.

ALL children have the right to breathe clean air.

london.gov.uk/mayor-invests-… x.com/_catinthehat/s…Image
Here are some more details about the project:

▪️At least 200 schools across London will receive HEPA air filters

▪️Filters used for this initiative will be Blast & Blast Mini devices from @SmartairUk

▪️Participating schools will receive one filter per classroom where possible
@SmartairUk I’m particularly pleased to see that the @MayorofLondon has chosen SmartAir air filters for this initiative.

I’ve done a lot of research on air filters & the Blast & BlastMini are two of the very best air filters for schools.

High CADR & low noise make them the perfect choice! x.com/_catinthehat/s…Image
Read 21 tweets
Oct 13
Why do schools need to tackle poor VENTILATION in classrooms?

Because nationwide monitoring of UK classrooms shows that ventilation drops to appallingly low levels when outdoor temperatures drop & windows are closed.

Poor ventilation means airborne viruses spread like wildfire. Image
And when those airborne viruses spread like wildfire, guess what happens to pupil & teacher absence rates?

Unsurprisingly, they sky rocket! 🚀

Here’s what happened to absence rates in the 2023/24 & 2024/25 autumn terms (vs the pre-pandemic average shown by the dotted line) ⬇️ Image
Now look what’s happening to illness in 15-24 year olds right now… 👀

Covid rates have been steadily rising and are now at the highest point in over a year for this age-group.

Meanwhile, flu has seen a dramatic rise about a month earlier than usual.

(Chart from @1goodtern) Image
Read 6 tweets
Oct 13
The DfE have published guidance on reducing the spread of illness this Winter.

Much of it focusses on things like handwashing & catching sneezes which WON’T stop airborne illnesses spreading.

BUT I’m pleased to see a whole section on VENTILATION, CO2 MONITORING & AIR FILTERS. Image
Link to this newly published guidance can be found here:

educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2025/10/reduci…
The joint unions have also just released newly updated guidance:

“GOOD VENTILATION IN SCHOOLS & COLLEGES AND HOW TO ACHIEVE IT!”

This excellent guide sets out 5 simple steps which schools should be taking to monitor & improve ventilation in classrooms.

neu.org.uk/sites/default/… x.com/neunion/status…Image
Read 6 tweets
May 22
“LONG COVID IS FUELLING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN CHILDREN”

🚨Nearly 40% of children with Long COVID reported anxiety or depression; half had no prior diagnosis.

🚨Mental health impact was comparable to that of serious chronic illnesses like cancer.

neurosciencenews.com/long-covid-chi…Image
Meanwhile, more than 500 children a day in England are being referred to NHS mental health services for anxiety, more than DOUBLE the pre-pandemic rate…

…and yet, the impact of repeated COVID infections on children is never even considered as a contributing factor. Image
There are so many studies about the detrimental impact that Covid has on the brain…

…how the brain inflammation can trigger neurological symptoms such as depression & anxiety.

I don’t understand why this is just being ignored by the mainstream media.

health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/…Image
Read 4 tweets

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